What To Tell The Family
by AgentSixOfHearts
Summary: Something is wrong with Alan and when he finds out what, how will the family take it?
1. Chapter 1

**Hi all, just a few notes before I begin the story. Alan is 19 in this story, and you can decide if this is TV or MOVIE but I have to tell you now that I have never seen the TV series before but from what I have read I like the sound of them more so most likely Fermat won't appear or Tin-Tin's mum, but this story will mainly be a family story anyway. Another thing before I leave you to it, I don't know what the Tracy's Grandmother is like or her name so if anyone can tell me about her it would be a great help. Well, on with the story.**

**I don't own the Thunderbirds**

Chapter 1: Symptoms

"Boys, debrief!"

Jeff Tracy, father of five yelled at four of his sons, the fifth was already there his face appearing on a screen.

One by one, from eldest to youngest the boys filed in after one of their more successful rescues. First there was Scott, Virgil, Gordon then finally, Alan. John who was the second eldest could be seen on the screen as he was miles away from earth.

Jeff frowned as he laid eyes on his youngest son. There was a white bandage that covered most of his left arm, but it was not the bandage itself that concerned him, it was the giant blood red stain that covered it.

"Alan, what happened to your arm?" he asked.

The said son looked down at his arm and gowned. _Damn it!_He thought, _not again._

"Virgil? A little help here, please? It's bleeding again."

"What! I just rebadged it, what did you do?" said Virgil as he came over to look at the offending arm

"Nothing! It just won't stop bleeding." Virgil sighed as he looked over the long but very minor cut. The only reason it was bandaged in the first place was because that it keeps on bleeding.

"What happened?" Asked their father again.

"Nothing," said Scott, "It's just a small cut Dad"

Jeff, still frowning a little, listened in as his sons began the debrief, soon forgetting all about his youngest son's cut.

* * *

BEEP BEEP BEEP!

Alan looked at his digital clock for a moment before shutting it off. All he wanted to do now was to go back to sleep. He had a very bad night, feeling hot then cold then waking up in a sweat, but he knew that his father would have none of that.

_I __must have the flu_he thought, before he heaved himself out of bed. He went to his own little private bathroom and prepared to have a cold shower to not only wake him up, but to cool him down, he was feeling hot again.

At breakfast, Alan looked down at his bacon and eggs with distaste. He wasn't feeling hungry and his cold shower had done nothing for how hot he felt.

"Dad, can I go? I don't feel hungry."

Jeff looked up from his newspaper to look at his son. He noticed the hardly touched food and the fact that his youngest didn't look that well.

"Are you feeling alright Alan?"

"Yeah Dad, I'm fine. I just didn't get a lot of sleep last night. I think I'm coming down with the flu." The eldest of the Tracy's, their Grandmother, walked around the table and placed the back of her hand against Alan's forehead.

"Why, you're burning up!" she exclaimed, "its straight back to bed with you. I'll bring you something soon to help with that fever. Now go! Get some rest."

"Yes Grandma." Replied Alan as he got up and left the table, heading back to his room.

"Will he be alright mother?" asked Jeff.

"Yes yes, he should be fine. It's only a slight fever after all." She replied, clearing away Alan's unfinished food.

Satisfied, the rest of the family happily finished their own breakfast.

* * *

"Alan, I'll like to talk to you in my office. Now." Alan got up from the deck chair that he had been reclining in, wincing in pain as he got up, but quickly hiding it. His joints were very sore these days and he tried his hardest to keep it away from the others, to him he considered it a weakness.

But apparently he didn't hide it quick enough as Jeff's eyebrows twitched in concern. Jeff couldn't vouch for his other sons, but he had noticed Alan's carful movements as if he was afraid of moving too quickly and he also saw the pain in the young astronaut's face when he did.

It was the reason he wanted to talk to his son now, alone in his office. Alan was always more open about things without his brothers around.

As he entered his father's office, Alan, as quick as he could, flopped down in one of the rooms comfortable chairs, grateful for the relief it gave his joints.

Jeff sat opposite his son hearing the soft sigh of relief.

"Is everything alright Alan?" he began, "are you in any sort of pain?"

Alan's head shot up and looked Jeff in the eyes before looking away.

"No, I'm fine Dad." Jeff let out a frustrated sigh.

"Don't lie to me Alan! I'm not blind."

_He knows_he thought, _how does he do that?!_

"Alan, tell me what's wrong." Said person was quiet for awhile, looking at his hands before lifting his head and answering

"My joints are a little stiff, is all," Alan said, adding, "They get better in the afternoon." That was a lie and Alan made sure he wasn't looking his father in the eyes as he said it.

"I think we should take you to see a doctor—"Jeff began to say before being cut off.

"What! I don't need to see a doctor! I said I'm fine Dad." Alan got up from he's chair, making sure that no sign of pain appeared on his face. Jeff noted that he got up carefully, not suddenly like his mood would suggest he would do.

"I just need to rest a bit; I'll be as good as new in a few days. Promise." And with that said, Alan turned on his heel to make his exist, but he didn't get that far. Alan had then decided that turning quickly was not a good idea as he felt a wave of dizziness overcome him.

Grabbing the back of the chair with one hand, he raised the other to his face. He squeezed his eyes shut and breathed deeply, riding out the dizzy spell. Jeff was immediately by his side checking his son over, trying to find out what was wrong.

"I'm fine Dad, just a little dizzy." Alan said, trying to reassure his father as much as getting him out of mother hen mode.

"That does it; I'm taking you to see a doctor." Alan's head shot up and he once again had to close his eyes.

"But—"

"No buts Alan. It wasn't a request, it was an order."

"Yes Sir." He replied, looking down at his shoes. There was no way he was getting out of this one.

* * *

"Well, I say we're done. Let me just take a blood sample and then you can go home." Said Dr. Kelly Johnson. She was quite young to be a doctor, certainly not out of her twenties. With her long brown hair and slim figure, Alan might have mistaken her for a swimsuit model.

The young astronaut held out his arm so Dr. Johnson could take the required blood sample, looking away as he did so. He hated needles.

"So, what do you think is wrong?" asked Jeff as the young doctor finished taking the amount of blood that she needed.

"I'm not quite sure what is wrong with your son at the moment, but as soon as the blood test results come back I'll know and I'll give you a call."

"Thank you Dr. Johnson. You have been a great help." Kelly smiled at Jeff while placing the used needle in the bin.

"Just doing my job Mr Tracy."

* * *

Two days had passed since Alan had been to the doctors and he was now waiting for the phone call that would tell him what was wrong with his body.

He wouldn't admit it but he was worried. What if it was something serious? What if he had a fatal illness and that he only had months to live, maybe he only had days!

_This is stupid_, he thought, _I'__m not dying and everything is going to be fine. I'm just __overreacting. _

But despite his own self reassuring Alan felt that the call that he was going to get will give him nothing but bad news.

Jeff was sitting in his office facing a mountain load of paper work.

_God I hate this stuff_he thought to himself before sighing and reaching for the top sheet just as the phone rang, _saved by the bell_. But before he picked it up he realised who could be ringing. _Maybe it's the results from Alan's blood test_ He then picked up the phone hurriedly, this was not a call that he wanted to miss.

"Hello, this is Jeff Tracy speaking"

"Hello Mr Tracy, this is Kelly Johnson, I was your son's doctor the other day?"

"Yes Yes, I remember, what were the results?" Jeff asked hurriedly.

"I'm sorry Mr Tracy," she replied and Jeff swore his heart stopped, but then she continued, "But may I speak to Alan?" Jeff blinked, he was not expecting that.

"Can't you tell me what's wrong with my son?"

"I'm sorry Mr Tracy, but I'm your son's doctor, not yours, and I do not want to breach the patient doctor confidentiality code, so may I please speak to your son?" once again Jeff blinked, not many people told him 'no'. He was quite impressed with this young girl; she was differently not intimidated by him.

"I'll get him for you now."

"Thank you."

Jeff left the office, phone in hand to search out his youngest son. Alan was not that hard to find, as around this time of day all of his sons could be found by the pool, cooling off in its water.

As he reached the pool he could see Scott attempting to dunk Gordon in the water while the soon to be victim tried to get away, which was not too hard for Gordon as he was the son that was born for the water. But he had one disadvantage, while Gordon had water; Scott had Virgil who was currently sneaking up behind the water boy.

Before the unsuspecting Gordon got pushed under the water Jeff decided to but in.

"Alan." The young man looked up from where he was sitting beside the pool with his legs dangling in the water to see his father holding out the phone to him, "It's the doctor. They have the results."

Everything went silent as the other sons stoped their rough housing to look at Alan as he slowly got up, reaching for the phone.

"Hello?"

"Alan, its Kelly your doctor?"

"Yes, hello Kelly. So, ready to give me the news. I'm dying, right?" Alan joked, but when Kelly didn't answer he felt a stab of fear.

"Kelly, what's wrong?"

"Alan, maybe I should tell you in person?"

"No, I want to know now. What's wrong with me?" he heard Kelly sigh before she replied.

"Alan...you have Leukaemia."

Alan was silent for a long time. He completely forgot about his family who were all now gathered around him looking at him with concern, he was in his own little world.

_I have cancer_

"Alan...? " Kelly asked, worried.

"Oh... crap."

* * *

**So what do you think? Cuz I'll love to know! Please review and constructive criticism is always welcome with me so please feel free to amend my mistakes! **

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	2. Chapter 2

**Hey,**

**I was so amazed when I opened my email the day after I posted and there were so many reviews and stuff, really made me think and I hope that this next chapter is as good as the last, but in my opinion this one i****s so much more harder to write. **

Silverbeard: Thanks so much, you were my first reviewer so thanks for that.

Criminally charmed: hey thanks, oh and thanks for the name. I like it a lot and I'll do my best to work it in.

Genbo: thank you, yes I know poor Alan. I can tell you now that i have not written this chapter yet and I have no idea how he is going to tell his family, hopefully you like what i come up with.

Moonlightbear: Thanks, and I know poor Alan. I'm going to do my best and hopefully you like this chapter.

Usher: Thank you and I hope you like this chapter.

JoTracy123: Well I was going for the shocker ending, but glad you like it.

Kat priestley: Thank you, but I have never considered myself as a very good writer and I'm very glad you like this story and I hope this chapter does me justice.

Bexi-chan: Thank you, and Alan does seem to be the main person to hurt but his is my favourite and I just like him to be the centre of attention and I really wanted to read something different, so I thought 'what instead of getting hurt on a rescue or being kidnapped can I do?' and then I thought 'cancer'. It's a great way to see how strong Alan and the Tracy's really are. Thanks for the advice, I too thought that I needed to do that and you just reminded me.

Potterwatch: thank you, I was wondering for a long time if I should do this too. And I know I went to fast and I'll do my best to slow it down, and to be honest, I kind of forgot about Brains, but I'll try to add him in more. I'll love to have a Beta reader but I don't know how. Thank you again.

Iniysa: I had no idea that someone was already writing a story like this, but thank you for reviewing.

Digi-Girl101: I'm glad you love my first chapter and I really hope that I can make this one just as good. I'm really sorry to hear about your grandparents.

**Just ****before I get started**** there are a few things I have to add****, I don't know much about Leukaemia and I'm getting all my info of****f**** the internet so if I make a mistake please tell me.****In case you were wondering why I said Alan felt it was like a weakness was because I feel Alan doesn't want to appear weak in front of his brothers and he may have interpreted having sore joints as such. I am also putting up a warning**** now for swearing just in case I**** put some in my story, I don't swear a lot but I have a feeling that I am going to put some in my story. **

**I do not own Thunderbirds. **

Chapter 2: What to do?

_"Oh...crap__" _

Alan quickly looked at his family. What was he going to tell them? "Oh by the way I have cancer who would have thought huh?" _God damn it!_ He thought, _why does it have to happen now?! Everything was going so well too_, _rescues have been more successful than ever, TinTin and I were just hitting it o—oh God, what am I going to tell her?! _

"Alan? Are you still there? Alan?" Alan shook his head and started to focus back on the voice.

"Yeah, yeah I'm still here. "

Kelly sighed again. _ I seem to be doing that a lot lately_, she thought, but she had a right to do so for this was the first time she had told someone that they had cancer and now she was worried for the young man. She couldn't sympathizes with him because she didn't know what he was going through, but she could empathizes with him, she after all was a doctor and she knew that this is going to be hard for him, she just hoped that she could help him through it.

"Alan I'm not going to lie to you, from what I can tell we have not caught it in the early stages which makes everything that much harder. So chances that you'll be cured with chemotherapy alone are slim, but I still want to try. We need to make an appointment as soon as we can, when are you available?"

"Uh...to-tomorrow?" Alan's voice cracked a little so he cleared his throat.

"Excellent! What time can you get here? How about 3:00?" Kelly may have never dealt with a cancer patient before, but that didn't mean she had never had patients in a serious or life threatening situation and she found that in these situations the patients needed someone else to make the most serious decisions while they got used to the idea of the fact that they might die.

"Yes, th-that should be fine." Alan cursed his voice again for cracking.

'OK, Alan I'll see you tomorrow at three. Oh, and one more thing, can I just say that we'll do everything we can to help you and that you should tell your family as soon as possible. Their support will help you get through the tough spots and Alan; you _will_ go through some hard times."

Alan was silent for a little while, while he found his voice.

"Ahem, thank you Kelly, for everything and I will tell them. I'll see you tomorrow."

* * *

ALAN

After Kelly had hanged up the phone I had a sense of vertigo, like I was looking down at everything at a great height which was stupid because I am not afraid of heights, you can't be if you are a part of International rescue. But that was what I felt, like everything was out of my control and I didn't like that.

I collapsed on a deck chair and looked down at the ground, trying to get my bearings. I felt someone sit down next to me, but I didn't look up. Someone else knelt in front of me and put a hand on my shoulder, but it was as if I couldn't feel it. I was in my own little world and could feel it falling down around me and I couldn't stop it.

GORDON

I could see it all through the phone call that Alan had been told something bad. That whatever was wrong with my brother was not good at all. My God I felt scared then, but when he sat down on the deck chair he looked so lost that I sat down next to him, trying to bring him back to reality, but what I really wanted was to know what was wrong with my brother/best friend.

JEFF

I had just seen my youngest go through many emotions through that phone call, but now, as he sat down on that deck chair, it was like he just switched off. I placed my hand on his shoulder and squeezed gently, trying to comfort him.

I was worried. Extremely worried. I didn't know what was wrong with him, but at the moment that was the last thing on my mind. I just wanted to know that whatever was wrong, he will be able to get through it.

SCOTT

"Alan? What did the doctor say? Is it bad?"

_Stupid question_ I yelled at myself. Of course it was bad! Just one look on Alan's face was enough for me to know that the news of his health was not good.

I felt fear. Raw fear for my baby brother's life. I couldn't imagine life without him. When Mum died I practically raised him, I raised all my brothers during that terrible time when Dad shut himself away, and the fact was that no matter how much Alan annoys us or takes stupid risks, our family wouldn't be the same without him. IR wouldn't be the same

And I prayed to the very core of my being that Alan will get through this. That we can band together as a family to help him get through this.

* * *

Alan looked up when he heard Scoot's voice. He couldn't recall what his oldest brother had said, but he didn't need to ask—it wasn't as if his brother had asked him to give TB1 a paint job. No, there was only one thing that he could have asked about. Alan's mouth went dry as he once again thought about what he was going to tell them.

He felt Gordon, who he just realised was the person sitting next to him, nudge him in the ribs, wanting an answer to the question. Alan was silent for a little while longer looking everywhere but at the people gathered around him. They were all there, his brothers, Jeff, Ruth (Grandmother), TinTin, Kryno and Brains.

"Are you sure you want to know?"

"Alan," said Virgil, "this is your health we are talking about, our _baby brother's_health. We have a right to know. No, scratch that, we _want_ to know."

"Yes," added TinTin, "we all have a right to know because we are all family."

Alan looked at every one of them and saw the same thing in each of their eyes, determination and love, but there was also fear of what they were yet to learn.

He looked down again, took a big breath then letting it go in a rush. When he looked back up, everyone was shocked to see tears in his eyes (they were not over spilling just there). Now fear was quite dominating in their eyes. Alan locked eyes with his father who still had his hand on his shoulder.

"Dad, Kelly, the doctor—"Alan cut himself off, _this is really hard._

Jeff nodded his understanding and just squeezed Alan's shoulder a little harder, willing his son to continue. Alan took another deep breath.

"She told me that the blood test showed...that it said—"after another big breath Alan decided to start all over again, "Dad, I...I have Leukaemia."

There! He said it. Now that he had, Alan suddenly found it so much more easier to talk and he took the opportunity that the silence that had followed after his revelation to tell his family that he had an appointment for Chemo tomorrow.

He decided against telling them about what Kelly had said about it maybe being too late, he just didn't want to worry then too much. He'll tell them that another time.

Maybe.

* * *

John stared at his only older brother as if Scott had just hit him, which was impossible because Scott was on earth while John was in TB5. But by God, John would have taken a beating over what his brother had just told him any day.

"Are you sure?" he asked. Scott just nodded his head gravely.

"Yes John it is. Alan—Alan has cancer."

John sat back in his chair and stared out the window at the stars. His greatest joy, space, now looked bleak and dull. Not to mention that it was the only thing in the way between himself and Alan. He needed to be at home. He needed to be there with his family and Alan.

"Scott, I'm coming down and if you don't send up TB3 very, very soon I'm going to ride TB5 down to earth. I will do it!" Scott just held up his hands in a surrendering gesture.

"Hey, hey! Calm down! Dad has already sent up Brains, his going to take your place."

John heaved a sigh of relief as he sat back in his chair again. Good, soon he'll be back on earth where he was needed.

"Could you believe it?" he asked, "could you believe that our baby brother has...you know, cancer?" he said the last bit in a voice just an octave higher than a whisper.

"No, it took a while for it to sink in." Scott said looking passed john and the blond haired brother knew that he was reliving Alan's revelations all over again. "John...you don't think he will... that he might not make it, do you?"

The said astronaut looked at his older brother in shock.

"What! Scott, Alan will make it through this, this is Alan we are talking about! His been through so many dangerous situations, more than us, since his been IR and he has died yet. No, Alan won't die now to cancer, he just won't."

"But what if his luck has finally run out?" Scott's eyes were probing his own, trying to find the answer that he really didn't want to know. John lowered his voice.

"Scott, please don't think like that. It's not helping anyone. Please." Scott looked down, away from his brother.

"OK," he whispered, John had to strain to hear it, then Scott looked up again and said more loudly, "Brains should be arriving soon to get you, I'll see you soon." And shut off the communications.

The Tracy family were all in Jeff's office. John had just arrived home and had bee lined his way to Alan and proceeded to check him over to the great annoyance to the other young man. It had only ended when Alan had to forcibly push John away from him. Then the arguing had started.

Every brother wanted to go with Alan tomorrow for his first appointment while Jeff had told them to stay on the Island to man IR in case there was an emergency.

Alan just sat there watching his father and brothers fight. He was getting quite sick of it really and he began to wonder what the island would be like if he had told everyone the whole truth, not just the bits he wanted to tell. Utter chaos, that's what. He was now glad that he had not told them.

When he saw the murderous glint in Gordon's eyes as he was once again denied taking leave off the island he had decided to intervene. He was after all the object of their yelling.

"Stop! Everyone just shut up!" he yelled, effectively rendering the room silent as they looked his way, socked, "International Rescue comes first, family second. Got that? So this is what's going to happen: Dad is going to come with me tomorrow while you guys stay home and man the fort. Got it? Good. Now end of discussion," Alan waited a beat before adding, "Besides, I'm sure you'll all get a chance to see me lose my hair." It was a poor attempt at a joke and no one appreciated it, in fact it just made the tension in the room worse.

* * *

**So there you have it peoples. Did you like? Please review and constructive criticism is still very much welcomed. **

**If you have any info on leukaemia or Chemotherapy can you please tell me, if you can? I just don't want to make a mistake. **

**Thanks again for reading and reviewing my story guys! **

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	3. NOTE

Hey guys! Thanks for reviewing and I'm glad you like the story. I'm just writing this to tell you that I won't be able to update anytime soon cuz I'm going on a 5 day camp tomorrow. It's going to be so much fun! I've already been there it once and now I'm doing a follow up.

Again thanks for reviewing and can you tell me where you go to find a beta reader? Someone has already told me, but I really didn't understand.

Just some things that I need to clear up. Kelly is not a love interest, just a doctor. And I was going to get her to introduce an oncologist in the next chapter for Alan.

Samantha Tragedy: thank you for letting me get info from you about chemo and I'm sorry to hear that you have dealt with it a lot, it must be hard. I will pm you as soon as I work out how.

Well, just wait for the next chapter, I'll update as soon as I can it just might take a little longer cuz I want to get my facts straight about leukaemia and the treatments so I don't make any mistakes.


	4. Chapter 4

Please don't kill me!

It has come to my attention that it has been a very_,_ _very_ long time since I've updated this story and I am going to be honest with you all, I don't think I ever will. My passion for this story has completely burnt out and I haven't thought about it for nearly as long since I last updated. I never wanted to be one of those authors that just fade away and leave a story hanging, but I don't know if I'm ever going to start writing again...

But I still think that this idea would be great little drama if someone can finish it, so even though I probably won't finish it, I would love it if someone would like to take up the idea and do a story of their own or just pick up the story where it left off. So if anyone does want to just give me a holler and I'll more than graciously give you my permission because let's face it, you would probably do a much better job at it than me and everyone waiting for an update can finally read an ending.

I apologise again for not updating and probably getting your hopes up with this Authors Note. SORRY SORRY SORRY!


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